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I thought this small new blog post might give other individuals an idea of what it’s like to be a creator/producer of a full scale new media project of large caliber. So…here’s some numbers for the past two months.

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Well…It’s currently 3:39Am and I have tried to fall asleep about a hundred times! In the past month I have averaged about three hours of sleep daily and have no idea how I really function per day. I guess I am just on auto-pilot. But…today marks the first day of shooting some “showcase” scenes for LEGENDARY and the thought of this gnarly bloody battle that’s taking place today mixed with the locations is just keeping my eyes pinned open. But more than that, as the creator, I am being kept awake daily with thought of where this new series needs to go.

I take quite a bit of pride in the people that I work with, who help, who act, and just anyone that contributes. I try not to view this project as mine but a project that several of Portland’s finest are coming together to share talents on. I want everyone to succeed. A massive part of this lies on my shoulders. How? Well…it’s simple really. I need to KNOW where I want the series to be distributed, the audience it needs to be marketed to, and the people I need to go to to make these things happen. People rely on me as a creator and producer to deliver. Not talk…not sit…not kiss ass. But to get up and DELIVER.

In the new media realm, this is tough due to the fact that we are still discovering boundaries. We are learning daily that there are many types of business models, revenue streams, ways of distribution, etc. There are two massive things to think about here. One is who you want to distribute the series. Do you want to pitch it as a TV series to networks? Do you want a huge Youtube channel to take it on and help build an audience? Or do you want to go the conventional (and in my opinion, un-original) route and go with one of the already existing distribution channels like Blip.Tv or Koldcast.Tv? The second thing that needs to be heavily considered is revenue. Not so much “How am I going to get rich?”. That should never be the situation anyway. No. It needs to be “How do I sustain this series and keep it moving forward?”

All of the current distribution channels are paying pennies on the dollar to show creators for what they are making in advertising dollars…all off content WE are making for them. Why is there a 50/50 split? Why is not 70/30? It seams people get to afraid to talk about details. These sites are getting paid millions by companies like T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, Tide, etc etc for advertisement. This comes in ads you see while watching a show (like all those damn youtube ads). Here is an example…right now in the current market, a few of the distribution stations are getting paid $12 per 1K unique views. They are giving the creators $6 of that. But hold on…then there’s marketing fees and management fees on top of that. By the time they’re done, the series is walking away with about $4 per 1K views. How the Hell is a series supposed to survive off of these numbers? The answer is simple. They can’t.

You are now starting to understand why you are seeing mass crowd funding campaigns going on. It’s far more simple to try and raise the money yourself. This is forcing content creators to get original in ways to make revenue and support a cast and crew. Finding an audience is key in this. Especially a loyal one. It’s also super tricky.

New media is the wild wild west right now. There is no right or wrong way to do things but knowing all the different avenues is extremely valuable. Marketing your series to it’s fullest potential will get you somewhere if done right!

In the past six months I have met a ton of amazing creators, producers, actors, actresses, and press outlets all within new media. Everyone struggles at it. Even the shows with massive audiences and followers. I am hoping that LEGENDARY will break a few molds here. It’s a 20-30 minute per episode series. It is shot in some of the most amazing and beautiful locations I have ever been to. It has outstanding production value. It has some of the best talent on board that Portland has to offer (including others from LA) and a growing guest star list. I have dedicated myself to making this series successful, sustainable, and most importantly…fun.

Oneonta Gorge, Oregon. One of the locations that “Legendary” films at.

We have got some amazing phone calls over the past few weeks and will be heading to LA at the end of this month to show the pilot at VIDCON. In the time before this big event, my life will consist of finding representation for this series, a home with a distributor, and a solid financial platform that will see the series continue to call Oregon it’s “Lavornia”.

Those that know me know I put my heart and soul into my creations and I never leave a man (or woman) behind. Everyone involved is on this journey now…and hopefully it will become something of legend.

So…in a few short hours…we will dawn armor, unsheathe swords , load blood cannons, and go to battle on a scene that will hopefully be jaw dropping for what’s considered “low budget film making”. Here’s hoping we can turn some heads this month…and forever.